Yarn cutting-off machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for cutting yarn residues from yarn tube sleeves (bobbins) comprises bearing means to receive the ends of yarn tubes and guide them to a cutter carriage carrying a vertical knife and a horizontal knife. The carriage travels transversely across the path of feed of the yarn tubes on the bearing means in a cutting pass and back in a return pass to its starting position. A vertically shiftable driving dog is carried clear of the yarn tube during the cutting pass of the cutter carriage. On the return pass, the driving dog shifts downwardly to engage the yarn tube and drive it through a stripping tube and eject it from the machine. A limit switch is engaged by the carriage at the end of its return travel which synchronizes the start of another cycle to cut the yarn from the next yarn tube which is automatically transported into place on the bearing means.

United States Patent 1 [1 1 Maiworm Dec. 30, 1975 [54] YARN CUTTING-OFFMACHINE [76] Inventor: Giinter Maiworm, Schontaler Weg 22, 5982Neuenrade, Germany 22 Filed: Apr. 4, 1975 21 Appl. No.: 565,108

Primary ExaminerLouis K. Rimrodt [5 7] ABSTRACT A machine for cuttingyarn residues from yarn tube sleeves (bobbins) comprises bearing meansto receive the ends of yarn tubes and guide them to a cutter carriagecarrying a vertical knife and a horizontal knife. The carriage travelstransversely across the path of feed of the yarn tubes on the bearingmeans in a cutting pass and back in a return pass to its startingposition. A vertically shiftable driving dog is carried clear of theyarn tube during the cutting pass of the cutter carriage. On the returnpass, the driving dog shifts downwardly to engage the yarn tube anddrive it through a stripping tube and eject it from the machine. A limitswitch is engaged by the carriage at the end of its return travel whichsynchronizes the start of another cycle to cut the yarn from the nextyarn tube which is automatically transported into place on the bearingmeans.

22 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 10f2 US.Patent Dec. 30, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 YARN CUTTING-OFF MACHINE This inventionrelates to a yarn cutting-off machine suitable for use with yarn tubes(also called bobbins or pirns). Yarn cutting off machines comprise anopen top trough-shaped bearing means to receive the extremities of ayarn tube, and guide rods extending parallel to the axis of the bearingmeans for shiftable arrangement thereon of a cutter carriage whichcarries-a vertical pre'cutting knife in a plane including the axis ofthe bearing means, and a horizontal re-cutting knife extending normal tothis plane.

The machine according to the present invention is to cut yarn residuesfrom yarn tubes, in particular from yarn tubes provided with or in theform of a tubular sleeve. A problem to be solved by the inventiondescribed herein is to ensure that the yarn residue will be removedcompletely from the yarn tube on one hand and that no damage will becaused to the sleeve of the tube on the other hand.

A yarn cutting-off machine of the type referred to above has been knownin the art. This prior known machine provides for manual placement ofthe yarn tubes into the bearing means and manual removal therefrom afterthe cutting-off operation. Since the yarn residues often adhere verystrongly to the yarn tube sleeve it is additionally necessary tomanually strip them off the tube after cutting so that the efficiency ofsuch a machine is restricted. It is an object of the present inventionto provide a yarn cutting-off machine with automatic yarn tube (bobbin)feed and one which provides for complete removal of all cut-off yarnresidues from the yarn tubes so that the tubes will not require anysubsequent operations once they have been discharged from the yarncutting-off machine. This and other objects are attained and thedescribed problems solved by the features of the claimed invention.

In general, the apparatus of the invention provides that after thecutting operation and on its return back to its starting position, thecutter carriage pushes the yarn tubes out through an axial passageopening of the bearing means which is disposed at the end thereof facingopposite to the direction of cutting to thereby strip off all yarnresidues. Another yarn tube is loaded by a step-by-step transport meansto permit substantially continuous movement of the cutter carriage.Accordingly, a very large number of yarn tubes can be processed. Theyarn cutting-off machine of the present invention is capable of handling1200 yarn tubes per hour and more without difficulty.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in alignment with theaxial passage opening of said hearing means a stripper tube having aninside diameter that is equal to the outside diameter of the yarn tube.This stripper tube ensures complete stripping of all yarn residues andpermits depositing of the empty yarn tubes in a receiving vessel or on aconveyor system disposed in a convenient place adjacent the yarncutting-off machine.

Generally, a machine suitable for cutting yarn residue off yarn tubes isprovided which comprises bearing means to support a yarn tube, a cuttercarriage having at least one cutting knife, and preferablytwo cuttingknives, mounted thereon and arranged to move the cutter carriagerelative to the yarn tube held on the bearing means to cut residual yarnfrom the yarn tube by means of the cutting knife or knives-Onehorizontaland one vertical knife is preferred. A driving dog is provided togetherwith means to hold the driving dog clear of the yarn tube during thecutting pass of the cutter carriage, and to engage the driving dog withthe yarn tube on the return pass of the cutting carriage so as to ejectthe yarn tube from the bearing means. Transport means totransport aplurality of yarn tubes in succession into the bearing means in positionfor cutting are also provided. Such transport means are incremental ofstep-by-step transport means which are arranged to advance a pluralityof yarn tubes by increments to introduce successive ones of yarn tubesinto the bearing means in position for cutting of the yarn residuepackage therefrom by the knife or knives carried by the cutter carriage.The transport means is synchronized with the cutter carriage to advancea fresh yarn tube into the bearing means after clearance of theprevious, ejected tube therefrom. In this context, a fresh yarn tubemeans one from which the residual yarn package has not yet been cut.

An embodiment of the invention shall now be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

F IG. 1 is an elevation view showing a yarn cutting-off machine of thepresent invention with enclosures partly removed and showing by dot dashoutline different operating positions of a component thereof, and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. l'which additionally shows a step-by-steptransport means.

The machine frame, which for clarity is not shown in all details,comprises two side plates 1 which support two guide rods 2 extendingtherebetween and on which a cutter carriage 3 is shiftably mounted bysuitable bearing means. To move said cutter carriage there is a drivechain 4 carried about sprockets 5 of which one is driven from a motor 6.(FIG. 1) The drive chain 4 is provided with a driving dog 7 adapted toengage in a slide rail 8 of the cutter carriage 3 so that one completerevolution of said driving dog 7 on the drive chain 4 corresponds to onemovement of said cutter carriage 3 to and fro in a cutting and returnpass, respectively.

Two trough-shaped bearing means 9 and 10 are provided whose yarn tubesupport-axes are aligned parallel with the guide rods 2. That is, thelongitudinal axis of a yarn tube supported at one end by bearing means10 and at its other end by bearing means 9 will lie parallel to guiderods 2. Bearing means 10 is adjustable relative to hearing means 9 underthe action of an adjusting means 11. This permits adjustment of thedistance between bearing means 9 and 10 to accomodate different sizeyarn tubes. The trough-shaped bearing means 10 has an abutment wall 12against which one end of yarn tube 13 lies. The bearing means 9 isprovided with a passage opening 14 with which a stripper tube 15 havingan inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of a yarn tube 13 isaligned. A longitudinal slot 16 is machined in the top surface ofstripper tube 15 to permit free clearance for a vertical knife 18. Ablower nozzle 17 is fixedly secured to the machine frame by means ofretainers (not shown) and is positioned to direct a jet of air againstthe passage opening 14. Additional blower nozzles can be provided ifnecessary, e.g., in the bearing means 9 around the trough-shaped frontsurface, or at the opening 14. Such nozzles are adjusted to direct airjets to the surface of the to-be-stripped tube, assisting in thestripping effect of the yarn therefrom.

Cutter carriage 3 carries a vertical pre-cutting knife 18 whose axisextends horizontally and whose vertical plane intersects the axis of theyarn tube 13. Mounted on a resiliently disposed arm 19 is a horizontalre-cutting knife 20 whose axis is vertical and intersects the axis ofthe yarn tube 13. Arm 19 is adjustable vertically against the action ofthe compression spring 21, and carries at one end thereof a roller 22which coacts with cam rails 23 and 24 during movement of the cuttercarriage 3. Cam rails 23 and 24 are bevelled at their respective endsfacing toward the opposite extremities of yarn tube 13. Cam rails 23 and24 may be otherwise appropriately shaped according to the contour ofyarn tube 13 is the same is not cylindrical. The knives are driven froma motor (not shown) secured to the cutter carriage 3.

Arranged on cutter carriage 3 is a vertically shiftable driving dog 25extending normal to the axis of yarn tube 13 and carrying a roller 26 atthe top end thereof. In the waiting zone of the cutter carriage (inwhich zone the cutter 3 is shown in full dot dash outline at theright-hand portion of FIG. 1) there is a cam rail 27 fittedsubstantially in the path of movement of roller 26, while another camrail 28 above said cam rail 27 extends the full length of the cuttercarriage cutting travel stroke. Cam rail 28 carries a switch tongue 29which normally rests against cam rail 27 and which is raised, asillustrated in FIG. 1, during return of the roller 26. Cam rail 27 isbevelled at its end facing the direction of travel of cutter carriage 3during its cutting pass. Cam rail 28 is bevelled at both ends.

Arranged in alignment with bearing means 9 and 10 is a step-by-steptransport means 30 (FIG. 2) which comprises two stationary rails 31 withrecesses to receive other yarn tubes 32, and two rails 33 movable alonga parallellogram-like path. Said rails 33 are driven by shafts 34 viacrank arms (not shown). The rails are adjustable by means of anadjusting device 35 at one end to suit different lengths of the yarntubes 32. FIG. 2 showns a plurality of yarn tubes 32 with a yarn residue36 still on them. This residue may of course be of different size inevery particular case.

The step-by-step transport means 30 will be charged with yarn tubes 32by an operator or any feeding device. At the beginning of each operatingcycle cutter carriage 3 is in its waiting which is even further to theright than the position of the cutter carriage 3 shown within itswaiting zone in dot-and-dash line representation at the right-handportion of FIG. 1. As soon as a yarn tube 13 is received intermediatlyof bearing means 9 and 10 the motor 6 is caused to start and therby movethe cutter carriage 3 to the left. Roller 26 is raised to the top runwaysurface of cam rail 28 by the switch tongue 29 so as to render drivingdog 25 inactive by raising it out of contact with the cross sectionalarea of yarn tube 13. Vertical knife 18 is adjusted so that itscircumference is, e.g., 0.2 to L0 mm'away from the outer surface of yarntube 13. As a consequence, vertical knife 18 does not cut the residualpackage of yarn 36 all the way through. Since roller 22 moves on top ofcam rail 23 the horizontal knife 20 is raised to such an extent that thesleeve of yarn tube 13 will not be damaged. As soon as horizontal knife20 gets to within the starting area of the yarn tube 13, i.e., theportion thereof which contains yarn residue 36, roller 22 is caused tomove along the descending bevelled portion of cam rail 23 to bringhorizontal knife 20 into contact with the circumference of the sleevevofyarn tube 13 to thereby cut the leftover yarn residue 36. As cuttercarriage 3 has moved past the length of yarn tube l3,

the roller 22 travels up the ascending bevel of cam rail 24 so thathorizontal knife 20 is again raised and damage to the end of yarn tube13 is avoided. At the end of the cutting pass of cutter carriage 3,roller 26 clears the end of cam rail 28 (the partial dot-and-dash linerepresentation of carriage 3 at the left-hand portion of FIG. 1 showsroller 26 about to clear the end of cam rail 28) so that driving dog 25drops down and its end portion protrudes into the cross-sectional areaof yarn tube 13. Abutment wall 12 of bearing means 10 is provided with arecess 37 for driving dog 25 to pass therethrough. Driving dog 7 isdisplaced within range of sliding rail 8 during its movement around thesprocket 5 and on its way back drags cutter carriage 3 along with it.This brings driving dog 25 into engagement with yarn tube 13 therebypushing the latter through the passage opening 14 and also through thestripper tube 15 and out of the machine. The marginal edge portions ofpassage opening 14 and the end face edges of stripper tube 15 coact tostrip off any adhering yarn residues. This stripping action is assistedby a shorttime air jet applied via blower nozzle 17 and other nozzles,if any, as mentioned. The yarn residues are passed into a collectingvessel (not shown) or onto a conveyor system while yarn tube 13 as suchis ejected out of stripper tube 15 towards the right as viewed inFIG. 1. As a function of the return pass of the cutter carriage 3, thestep-by-step transport means 30 is started to advance yarn tubes 32 byone step, thereby introducing the next yarn tube into position supportedon bearing means 9 and 10, ready for the next cutting pass of cuttercarriage 3. On reaching its end position the cutter carriage 3 trips alimit switch 38 which is provided to synchronize the various cyclesteps.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference tospecific embodiments, it will be appreciated that departures therefromcan be made which are within the scope and spirit of the invention. Allsuch are intended to be included in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine suitable for cutting yarn residue off yarn tubes comprisesbearing means to support a yarn tube, a cutter carriage havinga cuttingknife thereon and arranged to be moved relative to the yarn tube in acutting pass, so as to cut residual yarn from the yarn tube by means ofsaid cutting knife, and in a return pass, a driving dog and means tohold the driving dog clear of the yarn tube during the cutting pass ofthe cutter carriage and to engage the driving dog with the yarn tube onthe return pass of the cutter carriage so as to eject the yarn tube fromthe bearing means.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said driving dog is carried by saidcutter carriage.

3. The machine of claim 2 wherein said means to hold the driving dogclear of the yarn tube during the cutting pass and to engage the drivingdog with the yarn tube on the return pass comprises means connectingsaid driving dog to a roller which coacts with a cam rail positioned toengage said roller along its path of travel with said cutting knife.

4. The machine of claim 1 further including a stripping tube disposed inaxial alignment with the path of travel of the driving dog so that theyarn tube is ejected through said stripping tube.

5. The machine of claim 4 wherein the inner diameter of the strippingtube is approximately equal to the outerdiameter of the. yarn tube.

6. The machine of claim 5 wherein said cutter carriage carries a cuttingknife which is shiftable to clear the extremities of the yarn tube andto be shifted closer to the yarn tube as it transverses the portionthereof containing the residual yarn.

7. The machine of claim 6 wherein shifting of said cutter knife isprovided by mounting said cutter knife on an adjustable arm which armcarries a roller which coacts with cam rails positioned to engage saidroller along its path of travel with said cutter carriage.

8. The machine of claim 7 wherein said cutter carries a horizontalcutter knife and a vertical cutter knife and said horizontal cutterknife is mounted on said adjustable arm.

9. The machine of claim 1 wherein said bearing means is provided with anaxial passage opening to permit passage of a yarn tube therethrough.

10. The machine of claim 1 further including a blower nozzle to direct ajet of air against the yarn tubes prior to ejection there of from themachine.

11. The machine of claim 10 further including an axial passage openingin said bearing means to permit passage of a yarn tube therethrough andwherein said nozzle is disposed adjacent the axial passage opening.

12. A yarn cutting off machine suitable for use with yarn tubescomprises bearing means to receive the extremeties of a yarn tube, andguide rods extending parallel to the yarn support axis of said bearingmeans for shifting a cutter carriage in a cutting pass and in a returnpass on said guide rods, said cutter carriage carrying a cutting knifein a plane including said axis of the bearing means, the bearing meansbeing provided with an axial passage opening, the cutter carriagecarrying a shiftable driving dog connected to a roller which coacts witha cam rail to hold said driving dog in an inactive position relative tothe yarn tube while the cutter carriage moves in said cutting pass andfor engaging said driving dog with said yarn tube while the cuttercarriage moves in said return pass to eject said yarn tube through saidaxial passage opening.

13. The machine of claim '12 wherein the bearing means comprise open toptrough-shaped bearing means.

14. The machine of claim 12 wherein the axial passage opening in thebearing means is aligned with the longitudinal axis of a stripping tube.

15. The machine of claim 12 wherein at the cam rail end adjacent to theend of the return pass of the cutter carriage a second cam rail isprovided which protrudes into the path of movement of the rollerassociated with said driving dog, and a switch tongue connects said camrail with said second cam rail.

16. The machine of claim 12 wherein a stripping tube is disposed inalignment with the axial passage opening of the bearing means and theinside diameter of the stripping tube is approximately equal to theoutside diameter of the yarn tube.

17. The machine of claim 12 wherein a longitudinal slot is provided inthe stripping tube to allow clearance for said knife.

18. The machine of claim 12 wherein said cutter carriage carries avertical cutting knife and a horizontal re-cutting knife.

19. The machine of claim 18 wherein said horizontal re-cutting knife iscarried by a resiliently mounted arm fitted with a roller which coactswith cam rails positioned to engage the roller along the path of travelthereof, said cam rails being bevelled in a direction facing the ends ofthe yarn tube held in the bearing means.

20. The machine of claim 12 further including an air nozzle directedagainst the axial passage opening of the bearing means.

21. The machine of claim 12 further including incremental transportmeans to advance a series of yarn tubes and place a fresh yarn tube intothe bearing means after ejection of the prior yarn tube.

22. The machine of claim 12 further including incremental transportmeans synchronized with shifting of the cutter carriage on the guiderails so that said transport means places a fresh yarn tube onto saidbearing means after clearance of an ejected yarn tube therelntunt N0 9lecembe ui b.JQ'LL- hwcnwdrh) Gunter Maiwo'rm It. in cl-rLil'h-d Hm!vrrnr :lppvins; in Llu- HIIUVPitIL'HLifiltl pzlLunL and LhuL .uu'dLILLHI'I; l'uLx-ut an: lnwzrvhy Qurn-uLud .115; shown lwluw:

In claim 1, line 3, after tube, delete and insert In claim 1, line 7,after pass, delete and insert In claim 6, line 4, delete "transverses"and insert -traverses- Signed and Scaled this mirth Day Of April I 976lsmu Arum.-

RUTH (I MASON MARSHALL DANN .IIIl'J'IHIK I/NY" ('mnmixximu'r n] Iulcnlxum] Trullmnurkx

1. A machine suitable for cutting yarn residue off yarn tubes comprises bearing means to support a yarn tube, a cutter carriage having a cutting knife thereon and arranged to be moved relative to the yarn tube in a cutting pass, so as to cut residual yarn from the yarn tube by means of said cutting knife, and in a return pass, a driving dog and means to hold the driving dog clear of the yarn tube during the cutting pass of the cutter carriage and to engage the driving dog with the yarn tube on the return pass of the cutter carriage so as to eject the yarn tube from the bearing means.
 2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said driving dog is carried by said cutter carriage.
 3. The machine of claim 2 wherein said means to hold the driving dog clear of the yarn tube during the cutting pass and to engage the driving dog with the yarn tube on the return pass comprises means connecting said driving dog to a roller which coacts with a cam rail positioned to engage said roller along its path of travel with said cutting knife.
 4. The machine of claim 1 further including a stripping tube disposed in axial alignment with the path of travel of the driving dog so that the yarn tube is ejected through said stripping tube.
 5. The machine of claim 4 wherein the inner diameter of the stripping tube is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the yarn tube.
 6. The machine of claim 5 wherein said cutter carriage carries a cutting knife which is shiftable to clear the extremities of the yarn tube and to be shifted closer to the yarn tube as it transverses the portion thereof containing the residual yarn.
 7. The machine of claim 6 wherein shifting of said cutter knife is provided by mounting said cutter knife on an adjustable arm which arm carries a roller which coacts with cam rails positioned to engage said roller along its path of travel with said cutter carriage.
 8. The machine of claim 7 wherein said cutter carries a horizontal cutter knife and a vertical cutter knife and said horizontal cutter knife is mounted on said adjustable arm.
 9. The machine of claim 1 wherein said bearing means is provided with an axial passage opening to permit passage of a yarn tube therethrough.
 10. The machine of claim 1 further including a blower nozzle to direct a jet of air against the yarn tubes prior to ejection there of from the machine.
 11. The machine of claim 10 further including an axial passage opening in said bearing means to permit passage of a yarn tube therethrough and wherein said nozzle is disposed adjacent the axial passage opening.
 12. A yarn cutting off machine suitable for use with yarn tubes comprises bearing means to receive the extremeties of a yarn tube, and guide rods extending parallel to the yarn support axis of said bearing means for shifting a cutter carriage in a cutting pass and in a return pass on said guide rods, said cutter carriage carrying a cutting knife in a plane including said axis of the bearing means, the bearing means being provided with an axial passage opening, the cutter carriage carrying a shiftable driving dog connected to a roller which coacts with a cam rail to hold said driving dog in an inactive position relative to the yarn tube while the cutter carriage moves in said cutting pass and for engaging said driving dog with said yarn tube while the cutter carriage moves in said return pass to eject said yarn tube through said axial passage opening.
 13. The machine of claim 12 wherein the bearing means comprise open top trough-shaped bearing means.
 14. The machine of claim 12 wherein the axial passage opening in the bearing means is aligned with the longitudinal axis of a stripping tube.
 15. The machine of claim 12 wherein at the cam rail end adjacent to the end of the return pass of the cutter carriage a second cam rail is provided which protrudes into the path of movement of the roller associated with said driving dog, and a switch tongue connects said cam rail with said second cam rail.
 16. The machine of claim 12 wherein a stripping tube is disposed in alignment with the axial passage opening of the bearing means and the inside diameter of the stripping tube is approximately equal to the outside diameter of the yarn tube.
 17. The machine of claim 12 wherein a longitudinal slot is provided in the stripping tube to allow clearance for said knife.
 18. The machine of claim 12 wherein said cutter carriage carries a vertical cutting knife and a horizontal re-cutting knife.
 19. The machine of claim 18 wherein said horizontal re-cutting knife is carried by a resiliently mounted arm fitted with a roller which coacts with cam rails positioned to engage the roller along the path of travel thereof, said cam rails being bevelled in a direction facing the ends of the yarn tube held in the bearing means.
 20. The machine of claim 12 further including an air nozzle directed against the axial passage opening of the bearing means.
 21. The machine of claim 12 further including incremental transport means to advance a series of yarn tubes and place a fresh yarn tube into the bearing means after ejection of the prior yarn tube.
 22. The machine of claim 12 further including incremental transport means synchronized with shifting of the cutter carriage on the guide rails so that said transport means places a fresh yarn tube onto said bearing means after clearance of an ejected yarn tube therefrom. 